Pediatric Dental Events: October to December 2026
Pediatric dental meetings, sedation courses and CE events from October to December 2026, with dates, locations and links to each organizer's official page.
By the KTR Crowns team · · 5 min read
The fall is a busy stretch for pediatric CE. The AAPD runs its sedation courses, several state academies hold their annual meetings, and the year closes with the largest dental meeting in the country in New York. Here is what is on the calendar from October through December 2026 for pediatric dentists and general dentists who see a lot of children, with a link to each organizer's own page.
October 2026
| Event | Dates | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| TAPD Fall Sedation CE | Fri., Oct. 2 | Austin Central Library, Austin, TX | Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. A one-day course on assessing and mitigating risk in procedural sedation, with Dr. Bobby Thikkurissy. |
| WSAPD Annual Meeting | Sat., Oct. 3 | Cedarbrook Lodge, Seattle, WA | Washington State Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. CE on ergonomics and sustainability in pediatric practice, plus the annual business meeting. |
| ADA 2026 Scientific Session | Oct. 8-10 | Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN | American Dental Association. The ADA's national scientific meeting, held in the slot where SmileCon 2026 was originally scheduled. |
| Safe & Effective Sedation for the Pediatric Dental Patient | Oct. 23-24 | Loews Hollywood Hotel, Los Angeles, CA | AAPD. Patient assessment, pharmacology, airway management and protocols for dentists who sedate children (18 CE credits). |
| Advanced Training in Safe Procedural Sedation | Oct. 23-24 | Loews Hollywood Hotel, Los Angeles, CA | AAPD. The same weekend's sedation program for pediatric residents and residency faculty, with hands-on airway training. |
| Assistant Sedation Course | Oct. 23-24 | Loews Hollywood Hotel, Los Angeles, CA | AAPD. Sedation emergencies for dental assistants and team members, with an AHA PEARS provider card. |
| ICCPD 2026 | Oct. 23-25 | Online | International Congress of Contemporary Pediatric Dentistry. A virtual congress themed "Rethinking Pediatric Dentistry." |
| FAPD Annual Meeting | Sat., Oct. 24 | Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, Orlando, FL | Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. The state academy's annual meeting (6 CE credits). |
| Management of Pediatric Sedation Emergencies | Sun., Oct. 25 | UCLA Simulation Center, Los Angeles, CA | AAPD. Hands-on simulation of sedation emergencies in the dental office. It follows the sedation courses above, so one trip covers both. |
If sedation is part of your practice, the last weekend of October in Los Angeles is the one to plan around. The AAPD runs its dentist, resident and assistant sedation courses side by side, so a doctor and an assistant can attend the same weekend, and the simulation course the following day adds hands-on emergency practice.
November 2026
| Event | Dates | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISPD Fall CE Meeting | Fri., Nov. 6 | Maggiano's Little Italy, Chicago, IL | Illinois Society of Pediatric Dentists. Dr. Jeanette MacLean on using AI to diagnose and monitor incipient caries, and Dr. Mark Cannon on pediatric oral-systemic health. The organizer's page also shows Nov. 7 in one place, so confirm the date. |
| MdAPD Fall CE Course | Fri., Nov. 13 | Turf Valley Resort, Ellicott City, MD | Maryland Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Cleft lip and palate management from prenatal consult to adulthood, and sports dentistry for the pediatric provider. |
| Pediatric Medicine Update | Nov. 13-14 | Westin Boston Seaport, Boston, MA | AAPD. Updates on common pediatric medical conditions and what they mean for dental care, for dentists, residents, hygienists and assistants (13 CE hours). |
| 4th IAPD Global Summit | Nov. 13-15 | Barcelo Sants Hotel, Barcelona, Spain | International Association of Paediatric Dentistry with the Spanish Society of Paediatric Dentistry. Early orthodontics and where pediatric dentistry and orthodontics meet. |
| Greater New York Dental Meeting | Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 | Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY | Greater New York Dental Meeting. The largest dental meeting in the US, with courses from Friday and the exhibit floor open Sunday, Nov. 29, to Tuesday, Dec. 1. |
December 2026
December is quiet for in-person pediatric meetings. The main events are the last days of the Greater New York meeting and an evening online course from Florida.
| Event | Dates | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater New York Dental Meeting | Through Tue., Dec. 1 | Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY | The final days of the meeting, including the exhibit floor. |
| FAPD: Prevention of Medical Errors | Tue., Dec. 8, evening | Online (Zoom) | Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. A two-hour evening course (2 CE credits) on preventing medical errors. |
Planning tips
- Match the course to your license needs first. Sedation permits and state renewals often require specific hours. The AAPD's October courses and the TAPD sedation day are the most targeted options this quarter.
- Bring the team. Several of these programs have tracks or pricing for assistants and hygienists, and a shared course makes it easier to change how the office works on Monday.
- Pair a trip. The AAPD sedation courses and simulation day run back to back in Los Angeles, and the Pediatric Medicine Update in Boston falls on the same weekend as the Maryland course.
- Leave room for the exhibit floor at big meetings. At a meeting the size of Greater New York, plan which booths and products you want to see before you arrive.
Conference season is also a good time to look at what is in your operatory. If you are comparing crowns at the exhibit halls this fall, you can check KTR's pre-crimped zirconia and stainless steel crowns in your own hands first.
Before your next meeting
Free Crown Samples
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest dental meeting in December 2026?
The Greater New York Dental Meeting, which runs Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, 2026 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. Its exhibit floor is open Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.
When is the ADA's 2026 meeting?
The ADA 2026 Scientific Session is Oct. 8-10, 2026 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. The ADA announced in 2025 that SmileCon would not continue after 2025, and this meeting takes the October slot.
Are there pediatric sedation courses in fall 2026?
Yes. The AAPD holds sedation courses for dentists, for residents and faculty, and for assistants on Oct. 23-24 in Los Angeles, followed by a sedation emergencies simulation course on Oct. 25. The Texas Academy of Pediatric Dentistry also holds a sedation CE day in Austin on Oct. 2.
When is the AAPD Annual Session?
The AAPD's main annual meeting is held in the spring. The 2026 session was May 21-24 in Las Vegas, so it falls outside this October to December list.
This article is general information for dental professionals. It does not replace clinical judgment, the product's instructions for use, or current AAPD guidance. Questions about a specific case? Call us at 1-800-506-5108.
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